National Rugby League Cracks Down On Out-Of-Match Betting Trade

The National Rugby League "has ordered a leading corporate bookmaker to cease betting on 'speculative' markets including what club Canterbury's Ben Barba will end up at next year and what code Benji Marshall will play in 2014," according to Chris Barrett of the CANBERRA TIMES. Officials from Rugby League Central are moving "to stamp out-of-match markets surrounding players' futures amid concerns at how they could be manipulated and exploited." Online bookmaker Sportsbet "promoted at least three such markets." The markets "are used by bookmakers primarily as a promotional tool but the NRL, using the powers of the integrity agreement it has with wagering operators licensed to take bets on the game in Australia, has moved to shut them down" (CANBERRA TIMES, 7/12).